@DSOGaming Bigben Interactive have acquired Cyanide Studios, who are developing Call of Cthulhu, to expand their catalog of IP.

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By adding this step to its value-creation chain, Bigben secures strategic know-how and high-quality design for its next games, fulfilling its clearly defined ambition to become a leader in the AA video game segment.

This transaction also allows Bigben to acquire several IP assets representing key assets as well as an outstanding experience accumulated over numerous productions by confirmed developers recognized for the great quality of their games.

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@Bluesnews they report that the RPG-Investigation game Call of Cthulhu is still being worked on and due for release by 2017.

Cyanide Studio and Focus Home Interactive offer some details, images, and a 2017 release window for Call of Cthulhu, basically the first news about this Lovecraft-inspired game since it was announced a couple of years ago. They also say that Cyanide Studio is now the developer on the project, which was originally to be created by Frogwares. The images show off the horrors of bad housekeeping, and the accompanying text helps us better understand their plans for the game:

H. P. Lovecraft's famously twisted universe will be coming alive on consoles and PC in 2017, in the official video game adaptation of Chaosium's pen & paper RPG Call of Cthulhu. The Cthulhu Mythos has grown to become one of the largest shared universes ever envisioned, giving birth to countless stories, novels, and even movies ever since the original publication of Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu. Today, discover the game's first screenshots, which showcase the dark, oppressive ambiance of the game's semi-open environments built in Unreal Engine 4.

Developed by seasoned studio Cyanide, Call of Cthulhu is an RPG-Investigation game with psychological horror and stealth mechanics, set in a deeply immersive world. On a mission to find the truth behind the death of an acclaimed artist and her family on a backwater island, the player will soon uncover a more disturbing truth as the Great Dreamer, Cthulhu, prepares its awakening...

"We are happy that Focus entrusted us with the development of a videogame adaptation of the legendary RPG Call of Cthulhu. As long-time fans of the license, working with longtime partner publisher Focus Home Interactive on such an original and exciting project is, once again, a privilege. We hope to offer fans the game they've long been waiting for."
Patrick Pligersdorffer - CEO of Cyanide Studio

"We are deeply honored to be partnering with Cyanide again. They've grown alongside us for the past 10 years, to become today one of the best independent developers in Europe. With titles such as Styx: Master of Shadows and the Blood Bowl series, they've proved their creativity and ability to offer strong gaming experiences in original worlds. Cyanide has been wanting to make a Call of Cthulhu adaptation for years. They now hold all the cards to create a game that will please fans of the Cthulhu mythos, as well as players eager for rich and original gaming experiences."
Cédric Lagarrigue - President of Focus Home Interactive

Call of Cthulhu will release in 2017 on consoles and PC

Catching up on a couple of things from last week, Worthplaying has four screens from Game of Thrones that accompanied the annoucement last week.

We've known Cyanide Studios is working on a Game of Thrones RPG (to compliment their GoT RTS) for some time. If you recall, Cyanide previously name-dropped games like PS:T and KoTOR - and they're still doing just that, with a couple more added, based on this new preview at Joystiq:

The combat uses what he called an "active pause system," which he compared to the battle system from BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic. "You pause the game to give orders, but it doesn't really pause, it slows the time down. You can see something coming and react to it."

As for the story and general design, Bordeleau told me that it would be "Less action than Mass Effect 2, it's closer to Knights of the Old Republic and the first Mass Effect. It's all about the storyline." He was cagey about how much choice would be involved in the game, but he did share in a follow-up email that "some of your actions and choices will have consequences in the game story"

In a very promising sign, Bordeleau mentioned that the developers are big fans of the storytelling in Planescape: Torment, and that fans of the art design and storytelling in that game will find a lot to like in the Game of Thrones RPG.

We received several links about a new multiplatform RPG titled Of Orcs and Men, today. Apparently the concept and production come from Cyanide (Game of Thrones RPG) and the actual development is from Spiders (Faery and a hackn'slash called Mars we mentioned a while back). Here's the press release:

PARIS - May 2, 2011

Of Orcs and Men is a great new role-playing game, jointly developed for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC by Cyanide Studios (Concept and Production) and Spiders (Realization and Development). These first images give an early preview into a brutal world at war, where the Empire of Men’s oppressive threat looms over the territories of the Orcs and the Goblins. Goblins are systematically persecuted and slaughtered, while Orcs not killed in battle are captured and enslaved.

Of Orcs and Men first puts you into the role of an elite Orc soldier from the legendary legion of Bloodjaws, a league of warriors deeply involved in the war opposing the Orcs and Goblins on one side to their persecutors, Humankind. As a veteran warrior who has seen the most brutal of battles, you are appointed by the Orc commander to complete a mission that could change the course of the war: kill the one man responsible for all of this bloodshed, the one who has, for years, exhorted the human masses to loath and fight the green-skinned people: the Emperor himself.

A Goblin will soon join you to aid you in your mission… he is everything the Orc is not. But you find that this works to your advantage as you fight on the battleground and off. Taking advantage of their natural traits, they have their own skill trees you will develop. While the Orc focuses on power, reflecting his incredible strength, the Goblin will benefit from darker powers and stealth abilities, making him the perfect assassin.

From the filthy alleys at the foot of the Great Wall, to the depths of the Empire of Men, your two infiltrated heroes will face the greatest dangers through their epic quest. They will commune with the Wizards, fight the assassins and soldiers of the Empire of Men, and oppose the powerful Sisters of Laments.

As the world falls into chaos and you face a cruel and merciless humanity bent on eternal persecution of Orcs and Goblins, your unlikely duo will have one last chance to change the course of History and, hopefully, bring peace between your peoples.

Of Orcs and Men is scheduled for a Spring 2012 release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

zohaib sent in the same news, which he saw at GameBanshee, where they have the first screens.

You'll remember that French studio Cyanide popped up with the rights to A Song of Ice and Fire a while back, and then subsequently revealed a strategy game Genesis. An RPG is also in development, which has been previewed at French site Factor News (thanks, Nafai). You can read the Google translation here and a handful of screens are included. According to the translation, they have decided on a "strongly narrative RPG" and "citing Planescape - Torment, Baldur's Gate II or KOTOR as an example".

A year or so ago you may recall Cyanide announced they had secured the gaming rights to George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.  VG247 has news that Focus will publish the game, titled A Game of Thrones: Genesis.  No other details - not even the genre - but here's a snip and head to VG247 for two pieces of art:

A Game of Thrones: Genesis” plunges you into the heart of the battles and intrigues between the Families that shaped the Kingdom of Westeros.

However, victory does not necessarily result from brute force. The innovative game mechanics provide players with numerous paths to success: will you opt for a military, economic or diplomatic approach? Trickery, treachery and deceit are widespread and you will constantly have to watch your back if you want to avoid a bitter defeat!

Peacefully or forcefully annex surrounding territories, besiege enemy castles, send spies to infiltrate behind enemy lines, assassinate trouble-making officers or capture them to ask for a ransom… When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground!

Cyanide Studios has sent out their Christmas and New Year's greetings which is composed of a fantasy/medieval screenshot and the following text: "Get ready for... RENAISSANCE". 
Whether or not this project is related to their purchase of the video game rights for A Song of Ice and Fire is not stated explicitly.

Remember the hack'n'slash action/RPG Loki?  The French studio behind Loki has announced they have acquired the interactive rights to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, including A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and the upcoming A Dance with Dragons.  The PR is below but at this stage, there's no information on the style of games they might want to develop:

Cyanide Acquires Interactive Rights for George R. R. Martin’s
‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series

CYANIDE, A FRENCH VIDEO GAME STUDIO, SECURES INTERACTIVE RIGHTS TO GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S BESTSELLING ‘A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE’ SERIES

First-Ever ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ Video Games to Bring Classic Fantasy Series to Life

 

Nanterre, France – 12th May 2009

Cyanide, an independent video game studio, and George R. R. Martin today announced their partnership to create the first-ever video games inspired by the author’s award-winning, international bestselling ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ fantasy series.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cyanide has obtained the exclusive rights to develop ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ video
games for next-generation consoles and PC, and in collaboration with George R.R Martin, development has begun.

«We are all huge fans of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, so it is a true honour for our teams to be entrusted with creating the first video games inspired by this masterpiece» stated Patrick Pligersdorffer, Managing Director of Cyanide. «The twists and turns of the plot will allow us to deliver an experience which can be enjoyed by both long-time fans as well as gamers new to the series.»

Published most notably by Bantam Books in North America and Voyager Books in the United Kingdom, the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ novels have been translated into more than twenty languages (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian) and have been nominated for numerous prizes. Set in a world where nothing is simply black and white, the rich web of characters makes it an ideal background for numerous genres of video games.

‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ has already been adapted into a card game and a board game. More recently, HBO acquired the rights with the intent of turning the novels into a television series.

My absence with news posting has been due to cable work on my street, but they have finally finished their work now.
But onto the actual news posting. Cyanide Studios have written to let us know, that they are posting a series of satirical pictures entitled "How to Explore a Dungeon". The comic is related to an unannounced MMOG in development by Cyanide.

- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4

Follow their website with more steps to be released in the near future.